KILLEWALD EARNS WCHA PLAYER OF THE WEEK; KENNEDY, MUZERALL AMONG 10 NOMINEES
FOR KAZMAIER AWARD
After stopping 49 of 51 shots and leading the third-ranked Gophers to 2-1
and 3-1 wins at ninth-ranked New Hampshire, Minnesota senior goalie Erica
Killewald (Troy, Mich./Troy) was named the WCHA's player of the week.
In Friday's win, Killewald stopped 11 of 12 shots in the third period as
the Wildcats scored with 49 seconds to play during a power play with their
goalie pulled, giving them a 6-on-3 advantage. Saturday, Killewald turned in
another stellar final 20 minutes, stopping 13 of 14 shots, allowing another
power-play goal in the final minute as the Gophers, once again, took two
penalties in the gamešs final two minutes.
By holding New Hampshire scoreless for 59 minutes, 11 seconds Friday,
Killewald helped extend Minnesotašs consecutive shutout streak to a
school-record 218:22. In the month of January, she was 5-0-0 with two
shutouts, a 0.80 goals against average and a .962 save percentage, allowing
just four goals in five games.
USA Hockey announced the 10 nominees for the Patty Kazmaier Award,
emblematic of the most outstanding player in womenšs intercollegiate ice
hockey each season.
Among the 10 nominees are Minnesota seniors Courtney Kennedy (Woburn,
Mass./Buckingham, Browne & Nichols) and Nadine Muzerall (Mississauga,
Ontario/Kimball Union Academy), making the Gophers one of just two teams
with two representatives. Harvard also has two nominees.
Kennedy has been the mainstay of the Minnesota defensive unit, which
ranks sixth nationally in scoring defense at 1.91 goals per game. She is
also among the top scoring defensemen in the country and ranks first among
all Minnesota defensemen with 20 points in 22 games. Kennedy is 12th in the
WCHA in assists (16), and is tied for 10th in the league with 11 power-play
points (0-11).
Muzerall, the preseason national player of the year by SI for Women, is
tied for 17th in the WCHA with 23 points in 18 games. She is tied for 10th
in the WCHA with 13 goals and is tied for eighth in the league with five
power-play goals. Three of her 13 goals have been game-winners, good for
fourth in the WCHA.
The nation's leading goal scorer with 49 a year ago, she has been the
team's catalyst for four seasons. With 124 goals and 212 points in 117
career games, Muzerall has seen her team go 68-4-4 when she scores a goal
and just 21-15-4 when she plays and does not score.
U.S. College Hockey Online Womenšs Poll
January 29
Team (1st Place Votes) Record Pts LW
1. Dartmouth (10) 16- 1-1 100 1
2. Minnesota-Duluth 19- 4-1 87 2
3. Minnesota 17- 4-1 77 4
4. St. Lawrence 14- 4-3 73 3
5. Harvard 11- 6-0 62 5
6. Brown 10- 3-3 51 6
7. Wisconsin 15- 5-3 36 7
8. New Hampshire 14-11-0 30 9
9. Northeastern 12- 8-1 16 7
10. Providence 13- 8-3 7 10
Others receiving votes: Ohio State 5, Mercyhurst 2, St. Cloud State 2,
Niagara 1, Princeton 1.
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Craig Roberts
Asst. Media Relations Director
University of Minnesota Women's Intercollegiate Athletics
Phone: (612) 624-0522 Fax: (612) 624-8018
For the latest in Gopher Sports News visit www.gophersports.com
Or call the Diet Coke Gopher Sports Hotline at (612) 624-STAT
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